Ocean Campus FNOB

The Ocean Campus is a platform of open educational courses based on subjects in the fields of science, the humanities and technology, as they are developed and applied through the Barcelona World Race. This initiative has been brought to life thanks to an agreement signed in April 2013 by the FNOB and the University of Barcelona, establishing a commitment to collaborate, disseminate knowledge of, and boost the educational and training potential of the Barcelona World Race.

The Ocean Campus courses fall under the 'MOOC' category: Massive Online Open Courses. This is a learning model currently being used by some of the world's leading educational institutions, disseminating knowledge in the form of online content with open and free access for all. The courses are totally free of charge, unless the student requires an academic certificate, in which case a small fee will apply. Available on Coursera platform, these courses are free and open to all and offer certification from the University of Barcelona.

The Ocean Campus has been founded on a mission to disseminate the broad knowledge base in ocean sailing within the rigour and structure of university learning. The Campus will kick off with five courses on the subjects of Meteorology, Medicine, Food and Nutrition, Oceanography and Chronobiology, with study materials available in Catalan, Spanish and English.

The brain in a non-stop round the world regatta. Chronobiology and sleep managementInstructors: Ana Adan, Josep Maria Serra-Grabulosa and Sandra Giménez Badia.(course not available)

The initiative sets a double precedent

The Ocean Campus is a pioneering initiative in the world of ocean sailing. For the FNOB it represents a natural evolution of its Educational Program for the race, a reference framework for the educational potential of ocean sailing in schools. With the MOOCs, the FNOB takes a step further in offering access to that knowledge, by opening it up to the public, at the university and professional levels, or simply for all those with an interest in sailing, sport, science or technology.

For the University of Barcelona this is also a brand new initiative and while the university has other projects in the pipeline, the Barcelona World Race Ocean Campus courses will be the first MOOCs ever launched by the institution.

The content is being developed jointly by professors at the University of Barcelona, the educational department and editorial team at the Barcelona World Race, as well as by teachers at specialist institutions such as the Quirón-Teknon Hospital and the Spanish National Research Council's (CSIC) Institute for Sea Sciences (ICM). The courses will also feature collaboration from esteemed specialists in each subject.